Departures: Karakoram guide

LONELY PLANET has published The High Road to China ( pounds 8.95), a new edition of its Travel Survival Kit that focuses on the Karakoram Highway. The 800-mile highway starts in China and travels through Tajikistan, India, Nepal and Tibet finishing in southern Pakistan; it took 20 years to build and more than 500 people were killed during its construction. The guidebook covers villages and countryside a day or two from the road, and provides a guide to the local flora and fauna. There is also a special section on cycling the Karakoram Highway.

Also published this month are new Lonely Planet editions of its Sri Lanka ( pounds 7.95) and Jordan & Syria ( pounds 8.95) Travel Survival Kits.